Blank for lighting accessories



June 29, 1954 M N 2,682,605

BLANK FOR LIGHTING ACCESSORIES Filed May 5, 1950 I N V EN TOR. ?vn 27:46,? Mq/v A TTOENEY Patented June 29, 1954 2,682,605 BLANK FOR LIGHTING ACCESSORIES Irving Asherman, New York, N. Y., assignor to Henry Hyman, New York, N. Y.

Application May 5, 1950, Serial No. 160,332

This invention relates to lighting accessories and blanks for the same.

More particularly, my invention pertains to a lightin accessory which is adapted for use in conjunction with an electric light bulb and a socket, the bulb being of the type which has a base detachably receivable in the socket and an envelope with an enlarged portion a short distance above and wider than the base. The lighting accessory of the present invention is adapted to be held between the socket and the enlarged portion of the envelope.

It is an object of my'invention to provide a lighting accessory of the character described which is extremely simple in construction and economical to make.

It is another object of my invention to provide a lighting accessory of the character de- 1 Claim. (Cl. 240-103) from which the lighting accessory scribed which can be made and sold as a fiat blank whereby to save space and shipping expense, and can be erected rapidly and easily by an unskilled purchaser, the erection being so simple that it is not necessary to furnish instructions.

It is another object of my invention to provide a lighting accessory of the character described which may be made of comparatively inexpensive materials, for example, paperboard, but which is of such construction that it readily can withstand the stresses to Which it may be subjected in normal use.

It is another object of my invention to provide a blank for the fabrication of a lighting accessory of the character described, said blank being of simple outline and having its component parts so relatively positioned that the same can be fabricated from sheet material with comparatively little waste.

It is another object of my invention to provide a lighting accessory of the character described which is rugged and yet light enough to be used with bulbs that are mounted on comparatively weak objects such as the branches of a Christmas tree.

It is an ancillary object of my invention to provide a lighting accessory of the character described which can be used in connection with Christmas tree lighting outfits.

Other objects. of my invention will in part be obvious and in part will be pointed out hereinafter.

My invention accordingly consists in the feaof which the scope of application will be indicated in the appended claim.

In the accompanying drawings in which is shown one of the various possible embodiments of my invention,

Fig. l is a perspective view of an erected lighting accessory constructed in accordance with my invention;

Figs. 2 and 3 are sectional views taken substantially along the lines 22 and 33 of Fig. 1, the same having an associated bulb and socket shown thereon in phantom;

Fig. 4 is a plan view of the back of a blank shown in Fig. 1 is made;

Fig. 5 is a perspective view of the lighting accessory as it appears when held between a bulb and socket, a portion of the accessory being broken away better to illustrate the manner in which the same is held.

Referring now in detail to the drawings, the reference numeral 10 indicates a blank from which a lighting accessory I2 embodying my invention can be erected. Said blank is made from a single sheet of self-form-inaintaining material such as paperboard, fibreboard, sheet metal, or plastic sheets. A material which I find particularly satisfactory and which I employ in the preferred form of my invention shown herein is pasteboard having adhered to both surfaces, or at least to the front surface thereof, a layer of a specular material, for example a thin shiny aluminum foil.

The blank includes two elongated body panels l4, ll; of the same width. The outer sides I8, 20 of the panels are parallel for more than half the length thereof from the bottom up and the upper parts of said outer edges taper toward one another to a bullet shaped point 22. The inner edges of the two panels are integrally joined at a central weakened zone or fold line 24 where the blank is perforated or partially slitted through from the back to leave a linear hinge zone of sheet material which can be readily bent by a member of the public when it is desired to erect the accessory.

To the bottom edge of each of the body panels there is integrally attached a base panel 26, 28, the connection between each base panel and its associated body panel being by a weakened linear hinge zone 32 similar to the zone 24. The length 'of each base panel is equal to the width of the opposite body panel. The inner edges of the two base panels are juxtaposed and preferably are defined by a through slit 30, i. e. a lineal. sever ance which is made by the removal of little or no sheet material, said inner edges constitute linear continuations of the linear weakened hinge zone 24. These inner edges are perpendicular to the linear zones 32 connecting the body panels to the base panels.

Each base panel 25, 28 is provided with a through opening 34, said openings desirably bein locatednear the center of each panel. The openings are so mutually disposed that when the various panels are relatively folded in the manner shortly to be described, the openings will be in registry. Said openings are of proper size to pass loosely the base of an electric light bulb in connection with which the accessory is used.

To erect the accessory 12, each base panel is bent to a position substantially at right angles to its associated body panel and the twobody panels are bent to a position substantially at right angles to one another. At such time, one of the base panels will overlie the other base panel and the inner edge of the upper base panel will be juxtaposed with the front surface of the opposite body panel. Moreover, the two openings 34 will be in registry.

To use the erected accessory, the base 35 of an electric light bulb 38 is inserted through the registered openings and coupled with a socket to. The bulging lower portion 42 of the bulb immediately above the base will press the pair of base panels against the upper edge of the socket whereby securely to hold the accessory in position.

By having the base panel superposed and at right angles to the two body panels and by having the body panels at right angles to each other, the fixture, even though made of comparatively weak sheet material, is reinforced and strengthened against deformation and breakage so that the accessory is comparatively long lasting.

Moreover, by constructing the accessory in the foregoing manner it can be shipped flat, with the attendant savings, and be converted to its fiat position for storage purposes when not in use, the accessory in this latter state being less likely to be broken.

The specular finish on the front surface of the accessory enables the same to act as a reflector thereby considerably enhancing the ornamental effect of a light bulb. This function is of considerable aid in connection with Christmas tree lighting sets.

It thus will be seen that I have provided a device which achieves all the objects of my invention and is well adapted to meet the conditions of practical use.

As various possible embodiments might be made of the above invention, and as various changes might be made in the embodiment above set forth, it is to be understood that all matter herein described, or shown in the accompanying drawings, is to be interpreted as illustrative and not in a limiting sense.

Having thus described my invention, I claim as new and desire to secure by Letters Patent:

A blank f or a Christmas tree lighting accessory, said blank being fabricated from a single piece of pasteboard having its front surface covered with specular foil, said blank comprising a pair of body panels, the height of each of said body panels being several times its width, said blank further comprising a pair of base panels, means integrally joining said body panels to each other along a linear hinge zone, means integrally joining eachbody panel to an associated base panel along a linear hinge zone, the hinge zones joining the body panelsto the base panels being colinear and being perpendicular to the hinge zone joining the two body panels to one another, each base panel having a through opening therein adapted to pass the base of an electric light bulb, the perpendicular distance from the center of each of said openings to the linear hinge zone joining the base panel in which the opening is disposed to the associated body panel being equal to the perpendicular distance from the center of the other of the openings to a straight line extension of the linear hinge zone joining the two body panels to one another, the outer said edges of the body panels being parallel over their lower portions and having their upper portions tapering toward one another to a bullet point, said body panels being substantially longer than the light bulb with which the accessory is to be used;

References Cited in the file of this patent UNITED STATES PATENTS- Number Name Date D. 146,975 Lerman June 24, 194'? 973,050 Keller Oct. 18, 1910 1,578,704 Ash Mar. 30, 1926 1,939,388 Cohen Dec. 12, 1933 1,959,931 Schwartz May 22', 1934 

